The present invention concerns a system for associating at least one physical medium with a base for storing digital data.
In the context of the invention, the physical medium is itself associated with at least one file containing at least audio data.
Here the expression “physical medium associated with at least one audio file” must be understood as designating a physical, in the sense of real, object that contains, represents, illustrates or evokes at least one, advantageously more than one, audio file. Here the expression “audio file” must be understood as designating a file containing at least sound data, termed audio data, such as songs, music, the human voice or natural sounds, for example the sound of wind, waves or animal cries. In the context of the invention and by way of nonlimiting example, a medium of this is an audio cassette, a vinyl disk, a CD, a DVD, a VHS cassette, a packaging, a case, a box or a decorative object. It is clear that a medium of this kind may contain or be associated with other types of data, notably image and/or video files associated or not with the audio file.
In the context of the present invention a base for storing digital data means a database for storing and hosting for subsequent use audio, image and/or video files in digital form. A database of this kind is for example accessible via a cable or wireless communication network. In the latter case the database is for example accessible via a communication network such as a GSM network or via the Internet. In all cases, the database is distinct from and independent of the medium containing or associated with an audio file.
At present it is commonplace to access bases for storing digital data using wireless communication means, frequently so-called nomadic or mobile means. The means most frequently used include smartphones, tablets, computers, MP3 players, etc. These means make possible, in a small overall size, to read anywhere and at any time files, notably audio files, the number of which may be as high as several thousand. With such means, the files are either stored on a remote server, for example via the computing cloud, or on the means themselves, via an SD card or the internal memory of the means.
While such access means for reading and storing audio files have numerous advantages, they can only store and play back files having an appropriate format. In other words, non-digital files are not managed by such means. To remedy this there are known systems, often offered in the form of services by specialized structures, that handle the conversion to the digital format of the data of audio files. It is then possible to profit from the nomadic reading possibilities offered by reading means, with digital quality, for audio data that is initially not digital.
This being the case, use of such a solution is irksome because it is necessary for the user to start by digitizing their audio files, not to mention the cost of this service. The service life of current audio file media, for example DVD or CD, being limited, the marketing of these files is increasingly effected in a virtual manner via access to remote service. Because of this, the consumer no longer has a permanent physical object that materializes the file or files. Moreover, it is frequently the case that the non-digital audio data is originally stored on media which are either of interest as such or provide storage of other, also non-digitized information. By way of example there may be cited a vinyl disk sleeve with graphics, photos, a score, a booklet, etc. Moreover the user may for personal reasons be fond of the medium. In other words, digitization systems make it possible only to digitize data. The medium is not taken into account and becomes de facto useless. Now, there exist audio file media which, as such, have a high commercial and/or sentimental value, which implies their preservation.
It is these disadvantages that the invention more particularly intends to remedy by proposing a system for associating at least one physical medium of at least one audio file with a base for storing digital data making possible both the preservation of the medium and the use of digitized data based on the data of the audio files stored on the medium.